Nissan delivers first electric Leaf

by Jil - December 13, 2010

San Francisco, California – Nissan has made the world’s first delivery of its all-electric Leaf. The car was delivered to Olivier Chalouhi, a San Francisco Bay Area resident who was the first person in the U.S. to place an order for the car.

The car, a black SL model, was delivered at North Bay Nissan of Petaluma. Chalouhi, 31, works as a chief technology officer in Fanhattan, a venture-backed start-up in the connected TV space. Before purchasing the Leaf, Chalouhi commuted to work on an electric bicycle.

Later this week, Nissan will deliver the first vehicles in each of its primary launch markets in Southern California, Arizona, Oregon, Seattle and Tennessee. The company will donate US$25,000 to the World Wildlife Fund to mark the occasion. A second shipment of Leaf vehicles is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. on December 20. Hawaii and Texas will be added in early 2011, and a U.S.-wide launch of the Leaf is expected by 2012.